The present invention relates to communication cable termination devices and, more particularly, to optical fiber termination apparatus and methods for using the same.
An extensive infrastructure supporting telecommunication has been developed, traditionally based upon copper wire connections between individual subscribers and telecommunications company network distribution points. More recently, much of the telecommunications network infrastructure is being extended or replaced with an optical fiber based communications network infrastructure. The carrying capacity and communication rate capabilities of such equipment may exceed that provided by conventional copper wired systems. However, this cable based infrastructure is generally required to be flexibly field installed to allow for additions and deletions of service at access points as the customer mix for a telecommunications provider changes. Accordingly, subscriber optical fiber drop cable access points are typically required for configuring the network to provide services to different customers.
For the optical fiber infrastructure, it is generally desirable to provide sealed environmental protection and flexible incremental connection of subscriber drop cables to provide for rapid and reduced cost deployment of services to different customers. A variety of different products are available for use at access points in optical fiber-based communications networks. For example, the OptiSheath™ Advantage Terminal, available from Corning Incorporated of Corning, N.Y., is available with customer options to accommodate add-as-you-grow applications. The OptiSheath™ is available in six, eight or twelve port customer options, which may be utilized for aerial or buried terminal use in an optical access architecture allowing for subscriber connection. Cables of varying lengths may be preterminated inside the factory for use in the OptiSheath™ Advantage Terminal and the multiport options may allow for configuration in the field of each terminal location based on customer take length and stub length. The actual connection point in the OptiSheath™ Advantage Terminal utilizes a specific tap and drop cable specification to provide for the actual subscriber drop cable installation at the OptiSheath™ Advantage Terminal. In particular, the OptiTap™ Connector is included in the OptiSheath™ Advantage Terminal and the OptiFit™ Drop Cable may be removably coupled through the OptiTap™ to link subscribers to the optical fiber communications network. Utilization of such a standard connector type infrastructure may provide for rapid installation of fiber optic cables. However, there is a risk with such a configuration that a loss of environmental seal on any one port may expose other ports within a terminal to environmental contamination and associated degradation.
The terminal also may be bulky and difficult to utilize with inside factory pretermination and may drive up the initial installation cost by including all connectors initially when only a limited number of subscribers may yet have been signed on for service.